Erosion protection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10589850-B2
Application number	US-201815936866-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2018
Priority date	Mar 27, 2018
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

An erosion protection system (EPS) has a first erosion protection unit (EPU) having a first ligament and a first scale attached to the first ligament, the first scale having an outer hardness that is greater than a hardness of the first ligament. The EPS also has a second EPU having a second ligament and a second scale attached to the second ligament, the second scale having an outer hardness that is greater than a hardness of the second ligament. The EPS also has an interstitial space between the first ligament and the second ligament wherein at least one of (1) the first scale overlaps at least a portion of the second EPU and (2) the second scale overlaps at least a portion of the first EPU.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An erosion protection system (EPS), comprising:
a first erosion protection unit (EPU), comprising:
a first ligament; and
a first scale attached to the first ligament, the first scale comprising an outer hardness that is greater than a hardness of the first ligament; and

a second EPU, comprising:
a second ligament; and
a second scale attached to the second ligament, the second scale comprising

an outer hardness that is greater than a hardness of the second ligament; and
an interstitial space between the first ligament and the second ligament;
wherein at least one of (1) the first scale overlaps at least a portion of the second EPU and (2) the second scale overlaps at least a portion of the first EPU.

2. The EPS of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first ligament and the second ligament are configured to selectively deform from an undeformed state into a deformed state in which the at least one of the first ligament and the second ligament occupy at least a portion of the interstitial space.

3. The EPS of claim 1 , wherein each of the first ligament and the second ligament are attached to a shared substrate.

4. The EPS of claim 3 , wherein the substrate is relatively more flexible than a flexibility of at least one of the first ligament and the second ligament.

5. The EPS of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first scale and the second scale overlap the interstitial space.

6. The EPS of claim 5 , wherein the at least one of the first scale and the second scale cover the interstitial space to prevent an erodent particle from entering the interstitial space.

7. The EPS of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first scale and the second scale comprises a cycloid shape.

8. The EPS of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first ligament and the second ligament are responsive to changes in thermal energy so that a predetermined change in thermal energy applied to the at least one of the first ligament and the second ligament causes movement of at least one of the first scale and the second scale.

9. The EPS of claim 2 , further comprising:
a filler disposed in the interstitial space, the filler being configured to deform in response to the at least one of the first ligament and the second ligament occupying at least a portion of the interstitial space.

10. The EPS of claim 1 , wherein each of the first scale and the second scale comprise a maximum dimension of less than or equal to about 0.15 inches.

11. A rotor blade for a helicopter, comprising:
an upper surface;
a lower surface;
a leading edge between the upper surface and the lower surface; and
an erosion protection system (EPS) disposed on at least one of the upper surface, the lower surface, and the leading edge, the EPS comprising:
a first erosion protection unit (EPU), comprising:
a first ligament; and
a first scale attached to the first ligament, the first scale comprising an outer hardness that is greater than a hardness of the first ligament; and

a second EPU, comprising:
a second ligament; and
a second scale attached to the second ligament, the second scale comprising an outer hardness that is greater than a hardness of the second ligament; and

an interstitial space between the first ligament and the second ligament;
wherein at least one of (1) the first scale overlaps at least a portion of the second EPU and (2) the second scale overlaps at least a portion of the first EPU.

12. The rotor blade of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first ligament and the second ligament are configured to selectively deform from an undeformed state into a deformed state in which the at least one of the first ligament and the second ligament occupy at least a portion of the interstitial space.

13. The rotor blade of claim 11 , wherein each of the first ligament and the second ligament are attached to a shared substrate.

14. The rotor blade of claim 13 , wherein the substrate is relatively more flexible than a flexibility of at least one of the first ligament and the second ligament.

15. The rotor blade of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first scale and the second scale overlap the interstitial space.

16. The rotor blade of claim 15 , wherein the at least one of the first scale and the second scale cover the interstitial space to prevent an erodent particle from entering the interstitial space.

17. The rotor blade of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first scale and the second scale comprises a cycloid shape.

18. The rotor blade of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first ligament and the second ligament are responsive to changes in thermal energy so that a predetermined change in thermal energy applied to the at least one of the first ligament and the second ligament causes movement of at least one of the first scale and the second scale.

19. The rotor blade of claim 12 , further comprising:
a filler disposed in the interstitial space, the filler being configured to deform in response to the at least one of the first ligament and the second ligament occupying at least a portion of the interstitial space.

20. The rotor blade of claim 11 , wherein each of the first scale and the second scale comprise a maximum dimension of less than or equal to about 0.15 inches.

Assignees

• Bell Helicopter Textron Inc
• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Nissen Jeffrey Paul
• Mccullough John R

Classifications

• B64C2027/4733

  Rotor blades substantially made from particular materials · CPC title

• B64C11/205

  for protecting blades, e.g. coating · CPC title

• B64C27/473 Primary

  Constructional features · CPC title

• B64C29/0033

  the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage · CPC title

• F01D5/288

  Protective coatings for blades · CPC title